Reefing iron



May a, 1927. 1,627,515

c. L. LAIRD REEFING IRON 7 Filed May 18. 1926 Patented May 3,1927

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL L. LAIRD, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS.

REEFING IRON.

Application filed May 18,

This invention relates to a novel tool through the medium of which pitch, marine glue, oakum, cotton and other packing material may be easily and quickly removed 5 from the seams of the decks, sides and hot toms of vessels, and which embodies a head, a blade carried by the head, an impact shank extending from the head, and an adjusting handle passing freely through the head and through the medium of which the depth of penetration of the blade may be regulated and controlled.

The invention is hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1- is a view in side elevation of a reefing tool constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the reeling tool,

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the reeting tool, and

F igure A} is a detail sectional view taken 2? on the vertical plane indicated by the line a4; of Figure 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description, and desig nated in the several views of the accompanying drawing, by similar reference charactors.

The reefing toolcomprises a head 1, blade 2 and shank 3. The head 1 is of elongated formation and has a diagonally arranged lower end 4 from which the blade 2 extends and which contacts with the planking and constitutes a slide when the blade is fully inserted in a seam. The forward end of the head 1 is provided with an opening 5 which is of greater width than the blade 2 and permits the free passage beyond the head of the material reefed out of a seam by the blade. The forward edge 6 of the blade 2 inclines downwardly and forwardly, and the bottom wall of the opening 5 .is arranged at an upwardly and rearwardly inclined angle with respect to said edge of the blade. The rearward end of the shank 3 is provided with an impact head 7 to permit the tool to be propelled along a seam through the medium of a mallet. A handle 8 by means of which the depth of penetration of the blade 2 into a seam may be regulated and controlled, passes freely through an opening 9 in the head 1, and is provided with a rounded lower end 10 which contacts with the planking. The opening 9 extends downwardly 1926. Serial NO. 109,913.

through the head 1 at an angle to the longitudinal median line of the tool so as to position the adjusting handle 8 at an angle to the shank 3. The upper end of the adjusting handle 8 is provided with a head or grip 11.

In practice, the reeiing iron is adapted to be used by two operators, one of whom grasps the shank 3 and handle 8 to guide the tool and regulate the depth of penetration of the seam by the blade 2, and the other of whom wields the mallet to propel the tool along the seam. As the adjusting handle 8 passes freely through the opening 9, the extent of its projection below the lower side of the head 1 may be readily controlled, and the depth of penetration of the seam by the blade2 depends upon the extent of the projection of the adjusting handle beyond said side of the head. As the shank 8 and adjust ing handle 8 are angularly related, the tool may be readily controlled to cause it to follow the seam and to regulate the depth of penetration of the seam by the blade 2. The tool will not split or mar the planking and enables the packing material to be reefed out in a compa atively short time and. with comparatively little effort.

It should be understood that the drawin is merely illustrative and does not pretend to give exact proportions. Furthermore, the said drawing is illustrative of a preferred construction. it being my expectation that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What is claimed is 1. A. reefing iron comprising a head, ablade carried by the head, a shank carried by the head, and an adjusting handle carried by the head.

2. A reefing ironcomprising a head, a blade carried by the head, a shank carried by the head. and an adjusting handle carried by the head and arranged at an angle with respect to the shank.

3. A reeling iron comprising a head provided with an opening extending through the upper and lower sides thereof, a blade carried by the lower end of the head, a-

shank extending from the upper end of the head, and an adjusting handle passing freely CARL L. LAIRD. 

